Lincoln Gardens gives Brownsville section of Miami 134 new affordable homes

Miami civic leaders went to Brownsville Tuesday for the opening of much-needed Lincoln Gardens, an affordable housing complex with 134 new homes for Miami residents.

It’s the first part of a 9-acre redevelopment project by the county and Related Urban, an arm of the Related Group, in historic Brownsville.

Jon Paul Pérez, Related Group’s president, considers Lincoln Gardens a stepping stone in addressing Miami-Dade’s housing affordability crisis. On hand to celebrate the $44 million first piece of the new community, Pérez reiterated that Related is committed to developing affordable housing in Miami. After all, that’s how his father, Jorge M. Pérez, Related’s CEO and founder, got his start in real estate.

“None of this can happen without successful partnerships,” he said. “[We have completed] 22 projects in not that many years of all affordable and workforce housing, which we know is one of the biggest problems in the nation today. This is where Related started, and this is where we are going to continue to invest in the years to come.”

Fifty-two of the 134 available finished homes at Lincoln Gardens are for individuals earning up to 80% of area median income of $59,044, or less than $54,600. Couples earning less than $62,400, or families of three earning less than $70,200 can also qualify.

The homes include two-bedroom and two-bathroom apartments for $1,665 a month, three-bedroom and two-bathroom townhomes for $1,888 a month and three-bedroom and two-bathroom apartments for $1,913 a month.

Indira Cala Rodriguez, 37, is one of the residents that has already moved into her new home there in the Brownsville section of Miami. Rodriguez was excited she and her husband, Juan Carlos Argenal, 42, could have more space for their 3-year-old child. Rodriguez emigrated from Cuba to the United States in 2009.

“I live in a townhouse here and I’m very grateful for the opportunity Related and Dade County gave me and my family,” she said. “I have spent 13 years in this country and never had the opportunity to live in a three-bedroom townhouse and pay an affordable rent.”

Rodriguez is hopeful other families of similar backgrounds can find opportunities like the one her family found at Lincoln Gardens.

Related has more development work to do around Lincoln Gardens, in addition to the remainder of the homes planned. Related also will invest $1 million in Marva Y. Bannerman Park, a public park adjacent to the complex and build nearby 77 homes for elderly residents.

The 134 finished homes at Lincoln Gardens are across the street from now-closed Annie Coleman 14 public housing complex. In 2019, Annie Coleman was shut down due to substandard living conditions and nearby rampant crime. Former residents of the public housing complex were given priority to apply for the homes completed in Lincoln Gardens.

The development goes toward the goal of Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava to have 34,000 units of affordable housing built or under construction by the end of 2025.